One Way to Determine the Total Energy in Calories of a Food

question 90

Essay

One way to determine the total energy in calories of a food is to burn it in a device called a bomb calorimeter.The heat produced during combustion minus the heat added to begin the combustion is the total calories in the food.The typical human digestive tract does not absorb all of the calories in food; thus it is not 100% efficient.Furthermore,calories in undigestible organic compounds may not be absorbed at all,and thus can be considered to be zero calorie relative to human nutrition.Artificial sweeteners and fats are designed to produce desired sensation in the mouth without being absorbed.These are organic compounds that would release heat in a bomb calorimeter,thus they technically have calories.
A.What does this suggest about the accuracy of the bomb calorimeter in determining available food calories for humans? What would be the results of bomb calorimetry of human feces?
B.What is it about a particular food substance that may prevent absorption of its calories?
C.What happens to the "zero-calorie" molecules as they pass through the digestive tract? What are the potential effects on defecation?

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Definitions:

Psychosexual Development

Freud's theory that child development occurs in a series of fixed stages, each characterized by sexual interest and pleasure centered on a particular area of the body.

Anal Stage

The second stage in Freud's theory of psychosexual development, focusing on control issues and toilet training during toddlerhood.

Oral Stage

The initial phase in Freud's psychosexual development theory where an infant's pleasure centers are focused on the mouth, leading to behaviors such as sucking and biting.

Electra Complex

A term in psychoanalytic theory referring to a girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of her father.